The Ridpath library of universal literatureA biographical and bibliographical summary of the world's most eminent authors . mysterious some-thing, eternal, immense, benignant, and never inhumanor cruel, as some would have us believe, which is calledGod.—From Howellss Modern Italian Poets. THE poets lament. Muse of an aged people, in the eve Of fading civilization, I was born Of kindred that have greatly expiated And greatly wept. For me the ambrosial fingers Of graces never wove the laurel crown, But the fates shadowed, from my youngestdays, My brow with passion-flowers, and I have lived Unkno
The Ridpath library of universal literatureA biographical and bibliographical summary of the world's most eminent authors . mysterious some-thing, eternal, immense, benignant, and never inhumanor cruel, as some would have us believe, which is calledGod.—From Howellss Modern Italian Poets. THE poets lament. Muse of an aged people, in the eve Of fading civilization, I was born Of kindred that have greatly expiated And greatly wept. For me the ambrosial fingers Of graces never wove the laurel crown, But the fates shadowed, from my youngestdays, My brow with passion-flowers, and I have lived Unknown to my dear land. Oh, fortunate My sisters that in the heroic dawn Of races sung ! To them did destiny give The virgin fire and chaste ingenuousness Of their lands speech ; and, reverenced, their hands Ran over potent strings. To me, the hopes Turbid with hate ; to me, the senile rage ; To me, the painted fancies clothed by art Degenerate ; to me, the desperate wish, Not in my soul to nurse ungenerous dreams, But to contend, and with the sword of song To fight my battles too. —From Howellss Modern Italian ALEMBERT, Jean Baptiste le Rond de, a dis-tinguished French mathematician, philosopher,and general writer, born at Paris, November i6,1717 ; died there October 29, 1783. A portion ofhis name was probably given him from the factof his having been left near the church of le Rond, Paris, where as a foundling he waspicked up by a commissary of police on the dayof his birth. His surname he added himself. Itafterward leaked out that he was the bastard sonof the Chevalier Destouches and Madame deTencin, a woman of doubtful reputation. On ac-count of his frail body, or possibly some agree-ment with one of his parents, he was intrusted tothe care of a glaziers wife, Rosseau by name, whoresided hard by, instead of being assigned to thefoundling asylum. His foster-mother took suchcare in bringing him up that she gained his life-long attachment. After he became famou
Size: 1532px × 1630px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthorridpathj, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookyear1900
